As Shakespeare once said, whilst mulling over a pint of watery ale in some tavern somewhere, the course of true love never did run smooth. And I should know, as my romantic record is littered with calamity, especially with regards to Valentine’s Day. Take a teenage trip to the cinema for instance, to watch Alive, a story of a plane crash where the survivors kept alive by eating the dead. I paid for the tickets, I bought the popcorn and everything was going so well until my date announced quietly during the credits at the end that she was a vegetarian.
Another time, I spent an evening with a girlfriend penned in at rather packed local Italian. Halfway through the meal, feeling lightheaded and a tad squiffy, I popped to the toilet to freshen up and returned to my table and carried on with conversation; eyes down, focussing on my plate. When I finally looked up, my girlfriend had changed from a blonde to a bemused brunette, which was very confusing but a piercing burn from across the room soon signalled that I was sitting at the wrong table. The boyfriend who was hovering over me didn’t look too happy either.
And then there was the night spent down at casualty with a suspected broken toe. A Valentine’s spent indoors this time with much sweat, tears and blood lavished on preparing a sumptuous meal. Boy, the girl that I was cooking for was going to be so lucky. However, when it came to plating up the starter, a piece of chicken had the nerve to fall on the floor and so I lashed out at it in anger and planted my foot firmly in the dishwasher. The lucky girl who came running into the kitchen after hearing my howling became my wife soon after, so in some ways that Valentine’s Day was quite fortuitous but given past history, I try not to pay too much attention to the commercial love-fest these days.
That said, if I don’t make any sort of effort for this coming Friday, I might just get it in the eye from Cupid’s arrow so the game plan I am drawing up at present is to serve up a delicious and tasty plateful of lambs’ heart.
Now, you might consider dishing up some glistening heart for a romantic supper to be another recipe for disaster, especially if you are squeamish. But with some care and attention, this ball of muscle, the most life-giving of edible organs can make for excellent eating indeed. I would even go so far as to say that lambs’ hearts are offally good. Badoom-tish.
The key to cooking heart in my opinion, as with all tough, well exercised meat, is to cook it low and slow. With ox heart, which is huge in comparison to lamb, you can go down the route of marinating slices in herbs, oil and vinegar and then flash frying, treating it like steak. However, l prefer the warm cosseted mouthful of heart that has been braised for a couple of hours at least and this is where lambs’ heart comes into its own. The flavour is strong, there is no denying that, and the accompanying red wine sauce is quite rich but you can lighten things up easily enough. With this recipe, I use plenty of lemon thyme and parsley in the sausage stuffing mix and I like to sprinkle gremolata (namely finely chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic) over afterwards for an extra fresh citrus kick. And because comfort eating is on the agenda here, I like to serve up heart on mashed potato, although polenta or any other mashed root vegetable would also be nice.
In the preparation, there is the slightly grisly business of trimming out any nasty tubes or gristle but you can always ask your butcher to do that for you. Furthermore, by wrapping the heart in streaky bacon you do sort of hide the fact of what you are eating and bacon does deliver a sort of all-round win to a dish don’t you think?
If the suggestion of eating heart on Valentine’s Day does still wrinkles noses though, try this recipe out anyway and try blindfolding your partner before sliding a forkful of tenderness into their mouth.
Who knows where it might lead.
FAQs
Remove hard arteries or connective tissue with a knife. Lamb or goat hearts can be served whole. For a beef heart, cut lengthwise to open it. Remove the fibrous connective tubes within and any silverskin – silvery connective tissue that won't break down when cooking.
Are lamb hearts good for you? ›
Lamb Heart is an excellent source of protein, riboflavin, Vitamin B12, and selenium along with phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and niacin. It is easy to see why our ancestors placed a high medicinal value on organ meats! Lamb Heart Kabobs are out of this world!
Is lamb heart good for dogs? ›
Lamb hearts are an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. This organ is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to promote healthy skin and coat. So if you're looking for a way to give your pooch a dietary boost, consider adding some lamb heart to his meals!
How long can you cook lamb's hearts in an air fryer? ›
Um, so just pop them in, like, a little makeshift tray, pops the lamb on top, and then I just put it in the air fryer at 1:80. for 15 minutes, turn to the lamb over. and then did another 15 minutes.
How do you clean lamb hearts? ›
Clean the Lamb Heart
Using a sharp knife, carefully trim away any excess fat and sinew from the exterior of the heart. Some fat can be left on if preferred for flavor, but sinew should be removed as it can be tough. Open the heart chambers and remove any blood vessels, clots or remaining blood.
What do you soak beef hearts in? ›
Discard the blood and then you can soak the heart in a bowl of water along with about a cup of apple cider vinegar to help tenderize it a little bit, or you can begin using it as is. Dice the heart into bite-sized pieces, and sear in butter to make a nice hearty (ha ha ha) beef stew or chili.
Which is healthier lamb or beef? ›
If we look at fatty acids, like CLA and omega-3's, lamb comes out victorious and can be seen as marginally healthier. If we look at vitamins, like B12 and zinc, beef comes out victorious. The bottom line is both are excellent and both should be eaten with abundance!
Does lamb heart taste like liver? ›
But if you're a fan of lamb, lamb heart really is a must-try. This underrated cut has a strong lamby flavour and, as it is a muscle, it has a texture more akin to steak than to other offal cuts such as liver or kidneys, which some find a little challenging.
Is lamb heart gamey? ›
The heart has a rich, gamey taste with a slightly sweet undertone, and its texture is dense yet tender when properly cooked. Whether grilled, roasted, or braised, lamb heart can be enjoyed in various dishes, from hearty stews to savory kebabs.
Is too much lamb bad for dogs? ›
However, lamb is also high in fat and should only be fed in moderation to prevent weight gain. Because dogs are omnivores, they can eat both plant-based foods and meat without issue. Just note that because lamb contains more fat than other meats such as chicken or turkey, you should monitor your dog's intake of it.
Heat the oil in the pressure cooker, add the hearts and onions, stir round and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, adding a little more water if necessary. Bring to the boil in the open cooker and stir well. Put on the lid, bring to high pressure and cook for 20 minutes.
Is lamb better for dogs or chicken? ›
Overall, both lamb and chicken are outstanding ingredients to include in your dog's food. Unless your pup is allergic to lamb or chicken, they can safely eat either of these on a regular basis. Chicken is high in lean protein content and low in fat, whereas lamb is red meat and offers a higher fat content.
How do you know when braised lamb is done? ›
As the end of the cooking time draws near, press the outside centre of your lamb lightly with tongs or a clean fingertip to judge its degree of doneness. As a rough guide: Very soft = rare – bright red, raw centre. Soft = medium rare – pink inside with a red centre.
Should lamb be cooked slow or fast? ›
Lower temp = more succulent meat – Tough cuts like lamb shoulder need slow-cooking to tenderise them.
Can you eat lamb heart rare? ›
Yes, you can cook and eat lamb rare. Unless it is a shank which has been braised, lamb is often cooked rare. Lamb is considered safe when cooked to 140 F. Most people cook it slightly more rare than that and it's still pretty safe.
Do you soak beef heart in milk? ›
The best way to eliminate the strong blood flavor is to marinate the heart meat with a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar or just plain milk. Leave in the marinate for 24 hours and it will lose the strong bloody scent. There is 2 main ways to cook heart meat: Slow long braising and quick searing.
